SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk posted video Wednesday displaying him strolling into Twitter headquarters forward of a Friday deadline to shut his $44 billion deal to purchase the corporate.

Musk additionally modified his Twitter profile to seek advice from himself as “Chief Twit” and his location as Twitter headquarters, which relies in San Francisco. The video confirmed him carrying a sink by way of a foyer space.

“Getting into Twitter HQ – let that sink in!” he tweeted.

A court docket has given Musk till Friday to shut his April settlement to amass the corporate after he earlier tried to again out of the deal. Neither Musk nor Twitter has mentioned if the deal is closed but.

Regardless of Musk’s splashy entry to headquarters, it wasn’t clear but whether or not his buy of Twitter had been finalized. Twitter confirmed that Musk’s video tweet was actual however wouldn’t remark additional. Alex Spiro, Musk’s lead lawyer, didn’t instantly return a request for remark.

The Washington Publish reported final week that Musk instructed potential traders that he plans to chop three quarters of Twitter’s 7,500 staff when he turns into proprietor of the corporate. The newspaper cited paperwork and unnamed sources conversant in the deliberation.

Certainly one of Musk’s largest obstacles to closing the deal was conserving in place the financing pledged roughly six months in the past.

A gaggle of banks, together with Morgan Stanley and Financial institution of America, signed on earlier this yr to mortgage $12.5 billion of the cash Musk wanted to purchase Twitter and take it personal. Strong contracts with Musk sure the banks to the financing, though adjustments within the economic system and debt markets since April have possible made the phrases much less enticing. Musk even mentioned his funding group could be shopping for Twitter for greater than it’s price.

Much less clear is what’s taking place with the billions of {dollars} pledged to Musk by traders who would get possession stakes in Twitter. Musk’s authentic slate of fairness companions included an array of companions starting from the billionaire’s tech world pals with like-minded concepts about Twitter’s future, similar to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, to funds managed by Center Jap royalty.

The extra fairness traders kick in for the deal, the much less Musk has to pay on his personal. Most of his wealth is tied up in shares of Tesla, the electrical automotive firm that he runs. Since April, he has offered greater than $15 billion price of Tesla inventory, presumably to pay his share. Extra gross sales may very well be coming.

Musk’s flirtation with shopping for Twitter appeared to start in late March. That’s when Twitter mentioned he contacted members of its board - together with co-founder Jack Dorsey - and instructed them he was shopping for up shares and was keen on both becoming a member of the board, taking Twitter personal or beginning a competitor.

Then, on April 4, he revealed in a regulatory submitting that he had develop into the corporate’s largest shareholder after buying a 9% stake price about $3 billion.

At first, Twitter provided Musk a seat on its board. However six days later, CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted that Musk wouldn't be becoming a member of the board in any case. His bid to purchase the corporate shortly adopted.

When Musk agreed to purchase Twitter, he inserted a “420” marijuana reference into his value of $54.20 per share. He offered roughly $15 billion price of shares in Tesla to assist fund the acquisition, then pulled collectively commitments for billions extra from a various group of traders together with Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Inside Twitter, Musk’s provide was met with confusion and falling morale, particularly after Musk publicly criticized one in all Twitter’s high attorneys concerned in content-moderation selections.

In July, Musk abruptly reversed course, asserting that he was abandoning his bid to purchase Twitter. His said purpose: Twitter hadn’t been easy about its downside with pretend accounts he dubbed “spam bots.” Twitter sued Musk in Delaware Chancery Court docket to power the deal by way of. Two weeks earlier than a 5-day trial was scheduled to start, Musk modified his thoughts once more, saying that he needed to finish the deal in any case.

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